Web forms. You’ve probably created a few. Native HTML form controls definitely are obviously critical but they can also be frustrating as they can be difficult to customize. This has even led to some tricks whereby developers hide the native controls in favor of custom JavaScript based solutions. While these work, they are often lacking in the accessibility and cross-platform functionality of standard form elements. In this session, Stephanie Stimac, Program Manager for Developer Experiences on Microsoft Edge, will talk about the history of native form controls and some proposals being considered to improve them.

What the Future Holds for HTML Controls

Native HTML Form Controls can be some of the most painful elements to style and customize. 25 years after the first HTML Standard introduced them and developers have resorted to building custom controls from scratch to achieve what they need to. I’ll discuss the history behind native form controls, where we’re at presently with styling them and take a look at the proposed solutions by standards groups and browser vendors to standardize controls and solve the pain points developers have been complaining about for years.